RICHMOND — The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Dominion Resources are pleased to announce the twelve faculty members from Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities who have been selected as recipients of the 2014 Outstanding Faculty Award (OFA).“The Council is pleased to once again partner with Dominion to honor these extraordinary educators who help make Virginia’s system of higher education among the finest in the nation,” said SCHEV Director Peter Blake. “The scholarship and dedication of these honorees is a testament to the strength of Virginia’s public and private, two-year and four-year institutions.”“Dominion is proud to have sponsored the Outstanding Faculty Awards for the last 10 years,” said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Foundation. “Each year we are impressed by the diverse accomplishments of these talented professors. These individuals strengthen their communities and the Commonwealth through their commitment to discovering and sharing knowledge. They serve as an inspiration not only to the students in their classrooms but to all Virginians.”This year marks the 28th anniversary of the statewide awards program, which honors faculty members for excellence in teaching, research, knowledge integration, and public service. The twelve recipients were selected from a pool of 115 applications based on accomplishments that strongly reflect the missions of their respective institutions.2014 Outstanding Faculty Award recipients:Dr. Louise Billaud Associate Professor of MusicNew River Community CollegeDr. David CifuProfessor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Virginia Commonwealth UniversityDr. Amy ClarkAssociate Professor of EnglishUniversity of Virginia’s College at Wise

Dr. Linda Columbus Associate Professor of Chemistry University of VirginiaRising Star recipientDr. Wu-chun Feng Professor of Computer ScienceVirginia TechDr. Quentin KiddProfessor of Political Science Christopher Newport UniversityDr. Michael LaneAssociate Professor of ChemistryEmory & Henry CollegeMrs. Allison Orr LarsenAssociate Professor of LawCollege of William and MaryRising Star recipientDr. Jeffrey McClurkenProfessor of American StudiesUniversity of Mary WashingtonTeaching with Technology recipientDr. William Petri, Jr.Professor of Infectious Diseases University of VirginiaDr. Raina RobevaProfessor of Mathematics Sweet Briar CollegeDr. Carolyn Morcom RutledgeAssociate Professor of NursingOld Dominion UniversityPhotos and information about each of this year's recipients can be found on the SCHEV website at www.schev.edu/AdminFaculty/OFAprogramIndex.asp. The recipients will be recognized during a February 20 ceremony at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. Each of the recipients will receive an engraved award and a $5,000 check underwritten by the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources. Dominion is the parent company of Dominion Virginia Power.The OFA program is administered by SCHEV and funded by a grant from the Dominion Foundation, which has fully supported the OFA program since 2005. Since the first awards ceremony in 1987, a total of 328 Virginia faculty members - including the 2014 recipients - have received this high honor.SCHEV is the Commonwealth’s coordinating body for Virginia’s system of higher education. The agency provides policy guidance and budget recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly, and is a resource for information on higher education issues for Virginia colleges and universities. SCHEV has administered the Outstanding Faculty Awards since its inception in 1986.Headquartered in Richmond, Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.